FAERCH PLAST BEATS THE BIG CHILL WITH NEW FROST CPET MATERIAL FOR PACKAGING OF FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS

Leading Danish food packaging manufacturer creates ‘real life’ test environment to ensure superior impact / crush resistance

Further demonstrating its position as one of one of Europe’s leading plastics container manufacturers, Færch Plast Ltd has developed a high strength ‘frost’ CPET (Crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate) material for the packaging of frozen food products. For added accuracy, the Denmark-based company also developed a new ‘real life’ test environment to ensure unrivalled impact and crush resistance at low temperatures.

Impact resistance of plastics packaging materials is normally tested using the Bruceton Staircase method which determines weight, height and energy where a sample (flat sheet) fails when it is impacted with a free-falling weight or dart. If the sample does not fail, either the height or weight is increased incrementally until failure occurs. However, impact values from this test are not absolute and do not take into account the intended use of the material.

Joe Iannidinardo, Managing Director of Færch Plast’s UK division explains: “The Bruceton Staircase technique does not replicate what happens to materials in a real life environment, for example, during transit, storage, packing and whilst on-shelf.

He continues: “As a result, we deviated from this method when testing the frost CPET by using actual trays instead of flat sheet and focusing on two specific impact areas – the corner and middle of the U-rim. The whole test was conducted in a freezer trailer at temperatures of -22c.”

Færch Plast tested 1000 plus trays using its own recipes (with / without top layer, rPET, different thicknesses, etc) as well as competitor products. The frost CPET outperformed all other products by

Færch Plast’s new impact test method is reproducible with highly accurate results of +/-2%.

Færch Plast’s CPET trays feature dual ovenability and a wide temperature tolerance from -4F (-20c) degrees to 430F (220c) degrees, for freezer-to-oven or microwave convenience. CPET eliminates negative effects on food flavour and aroma, giving consumers better protected, more versatile and better tasting meals. A top layer of co-extruded APET gives this type of packaging extremely good sealing properties and a superb glossy appearance.